Reversible heel blocks



A ril 13, 1965 J. D. DAVIDSON 3,178,240

REVERSIBLE HEEL BLOCKS Filed Sept. 18. 1961 James D. Davidson BYATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,178,240 REVERSRELE HEEL BLOCKS James D.Davidson, 809 Knight Circle Drive, Marion, Ind. Filed Sept. 18, 1961,Ser. No. 138,740 3 Claims. (ill. 308-3) This invention relates to dieconstruction and particularly to the construction of certain guides orwear plates known as heel blocks for use therewith.

In conventional construction for certain dies, there are often providedwear plates known as heel blocks between the vertical surfaces of upperand lower die members. These heel blocks are for the purpose of guidingone die with respect to the other and for absorbing the wear whichotherwise would occur between the mutually guiding surfaces of saiddies. Said heel blocks constitute strips of metal which are placedbetween the interengaging surfaces of said dies and fastened to onethereof. In conventional practice, however, such strips tend to wear asthe result of the rubbing of the other die thereagainst and sometimesneed rather frequent replacement.

The space between said dies, though intended to be rectangular, isusually of an actual shape other than strictly rectangular so that saidheel blocks must in such cases be machined precisely, to fit a givenspacing between a pair of dies. The machining of said heel block isfrequently a time consuming and consequently expensive process. Whilethis cost might be accepted without too much difiiculty as an initialcost, it becomes extremely undesirable when said cost is repeated withthe frequency at which heel blocks wear and need replacing.

Accordingly, objects of the invention include the following:

(I) To provide a heel block construction for use with dies having twoportions, one thereof being a wear plate and accepting substantially allof the wear occurring as a result of the operation of said dies, and theother thereof being machina-ble to compensate for non-parallel spacingbetween upper and lower die shoes.

(2) To provide means, as aforesaid, wherein the part which is machinedto efiect fitting of said wear plates between said dies is protectedfrom wear and accordingly will last almost indefinitely.

(3) To provide means, as aforesaid, which can be installed and used inthe same manner as previously known heel blocks.

(4) To provide a heel block construction, as aforesaid, which will be nomore expensive in its initial manufacture than standard heel blocks ofpresently known design.

(5) To provide standardized, interchangeable wear plates for said heelblock construction, which can be reversed when they become heavilyscored so as to double their life.

Other objects and purposes of the invention will be known to personsacquainted with devices of this general type upon reading thespecification and inspection of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a typical die construction capable ofusing the wear plates of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on the line lIII of FIGURE 1 and showing apair of heel blocks in the lower die.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged segment of FIGURE 2 showing heel blockconstruction of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a front face view of a standardized Wear plate as used inthe invention.

Referring to the drawings there is shown in FIGURE 1 a pair of dies, theupper die being represented at 1 3,178,249 Patented Apr. 13, 1965 "iceand the lower die at 2. Said dies interfit with respect to each other ina conventional manner. Between the sliding faces of said dies, there islocated a heel block construction comprised of a standard wear plate 3(FIG- URES 2 and 3) and a machined shim 4. Said standard wear plate ismade preferably from any wear resistant material, such as hardenedsteel, and is of standard shape and size. Said shim is formed fromsofter material, such as soft steel, which can be readily machined. Saidshim and wear plate are stacked together and secured to the desired oneof said dies in any convenient manner, such as by the bolts 6.

In installing said heel block constructions, the shaping required for aclose fit is provided by suitable shaping or mach ning of the shims 4.Said shims are then installed on the sliding faces of one of the upperor lower dies, and the wear plates are installed against said shims andbetween them and the sliding faces of the other die. Thus, normaloperation of said die construction will wear only the standard wearplates. These plates, being standard, can be and preferably are made ofsufficiently hard material so that wear thereon is minimized. However,when wear does occur to a point which requires replacing of the wearplates, all that is necessary is to replace the standard wear plateswhereas the machined shims, which were shaped expressly to meet thecircumstances therein present and wmch would be expensive to replace,are continued in use.

Where the wear consists primarily of scratching or scuifing of thewearin surface 8 and without appreciable thinning of the standard wearplate 3, then same may be reversed so that its previously protectedsurface 9 (FIG- URE 3) becomes the wearing surface. For this purpose,the beveling M which is located at the lead-in edge of the wear plate 3when the surface 8 is the wearing surface, may be provided also at 12 tobe at the lead-in edge when the surface 9 is exposed as the wearingsurface.

With this arrangement, the only part of the heel block constructionwhich will need replacing according to the present invention is therelatively inexpensive wear .plate 3, which can be manufactured and soldas a standard unit and which will not require shaping or machining whenit is placed in its operating position.

The reversible wear plate 3 (FIGURE 3), is in this embodiment, providedwith a staggered arrangement of six bolt holes (FItGURE 4) wherein threeholes 6 are countersunk from one side of the plate and three holes 7,from the reverse side so that a triangular array of three holes isavailable in either mounting position for securing said wear plate andshim to a die.

Also in this embodiment grooves 13 are provided which assist in holdinggrease on the face of the wear plate.

It will be recognized that, while the heel block construction is mostuseful on very large dies and relatively long, usually adjacent,non-parallel sides, it can within the scope of the invention be appliedto a wide variety of other die forms and shapes and the hereinafterappend-' ing claims will be understood as including such furtherapplications excepting as said claims may by their own terms expresslyprovide otherwise.

What is claimed is: 1. A die construction, comprising: a pair of dieshaving opposed surfaces which are spaced apart and which are slidablerelative to each other; shim means having two oppositely facing surfaceswhich respectively face said opposed die surfaces, one of said shimsurfaces being precisely shaped to closely fit one of said opposed diesurfaces and being secured to and disposed in contiguous relationshiptherewith, the other of said shim surfaces being spaced from the otheropposed die surface, said shim ears,

means being formed of a readily machina-ble material so that said oneshim surface can be easily and precisely shaped;

a wear plate formed of a. Wear resistant material and having twooppositely facing surfaces, one of said wear plate surfaces facing andbeing of the same shape as said other shim surface and being releasablysecured thereto in contiguous relationship therewith, the other surfaceof said wear plate being parallel with and adapted to slidingly contactthe other of the opposed die surfaces; said wear plate having a bevellededge at one end of said other surface thereof whereby to guide enteringmovement of the other of the opposed die surfaces.

2. A die construction, comprising:

a pair of dies having opposed surfaces which are spaced apart and whichare slidable relative to each other;

shim means having two oppositely facing surfaces which respectively facesaid opposed die surfaces, one of said shim surfacesbeing preciselyshaped to closely fit one of said opposed die surfaces and being securedto and disposed in contiguous relationship therewith, the other of saidshim surface being spaced from the other opposed die surface, said shimmeans being formed of a readily maohinable material so that said oneshim surface can be easily and precisely shaped;

a wear plate formed of a wear resistant material and having twooppositely facing surfaces, one of said wear plate surfaces facing andbeing of the same shape as said other shim surface and being releasablysecured thereto in contiguous relationship therewith, the other surfaceof said wear plate being parallel with and adapted to slidingly contactthe other of the opposed die surfaces;

said shim means and said wear plate having aligned openings, fasteningmeans extending through said openings and securing said shim means andsaid wear plates to one of said dies, and groove means in said othersurfaces of said wear plate whereby a lubricant be retained therein.

3. A die construction, comprising:

a pair of dies having opposed surfaces which are spaced apart and whichare slidable relative to each other;

shim means having two oppositely facing surfaces which a wear plateformed of a wear resistant material and having two oppositely facingsurfaces, one of said Wear plate surfaces facing and being of the sameshape as said other shim surface and being releasably secured thereto incontiguous relationship therewith, the other surface of said Wear platebeing parallel with and adapted to slidingly contact the other of theopposed die surfaces;

said die surfaces and said shim surfaces being substantialiy paralleland the oppositely facing surfaces of said wear plate being parallelwitheach other and of the same shape so that the position of the wear platewith respect to the shim means can be reversed;

said wear plate having two bevelled edges at the ends of the oppositelyfacing surfaces thereof, the wear,

plate having openings therethrough, said openings being aligned. withcorresponding openings in said shim means when one or the other of saidoppositely facing surfaces of said wear plate faces said other shimsurface whereby said wear plate can be secured to said shim means witheither of the oppositely facing surfaces thereof contacting said othershim surface; and

grooves in both of said oppositely facing surfaces of said Wear platewhereby a lubricant can be retained therein.

References Cited by taeExaminer UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,966,925 7/34Criley 308-3 2,962,043 11/36 Stacy.

2,479,653 8/49 Walter.

2,931,684 4/60 Johnson 3083 FRANK SUSKO, Primary Examiner. 45 ROBERT c.RIORDOhL Examiner.

1. A DIE CONSTRUCTION, COMPRISING: A PAIR OF DIES HAVING OPPOSEDSURFACES WHICH ARE SPACED APART AND WHICH ARE SLIDABLE RELATIVE TO EACHOTHER; SHIM MEANS HAVING TWO OPPOSITELY FACING SURFACES WHICHRESPECTIVELY FACE SAID OPPOSED DIE SURFACES, ONE OF SAID SHIM SURFACESBEING PRECISELY SHAPED TO CLOSELY FIT ONE OF SAID OPPOSED DIE SURFACESAND BEING SECURED TO AND DISPOSED IN CONTIGUOUS RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH,THE OTHER OF SAID SHIM SURFACES BEING SPACED FROM THE OTHER OPPOSED DIESURFACE, SAID SHIM MEANS BEING FORMED OF A READILY MACHINABLE MATERIALSO THAT SAID ONE SHIM SURFACE CAN BE EASILY AND PRECISELY SHAPED;